lown up, at Denonville's order, by the French
themselves (October 1689). The erection and maintenance of this post
had been a cardinal point in Frontenac's {136} Indian policy; and, more
particularly to aggravate the offence, there was the humiliating fact
that Denonville had ordered it demolished to comply with a demand from
the Iroquois. This shameful concession had been made shortly before
Frontenac reached Canada. It was Denonville's last important act in
the colony. On the chance that something might have occurred to delay
execution of the order, Frontenac at once countermanded it and sent
forward an expedition of three hundred men. But they were too late.
His beloved fortress was gone. The only comfort which Frontenac could
derive from the incident was that the work of destruction had been
carried out imperfectly. There remained a portion of the works which
could still be used.

Thus with regard to the Iroquois the situation was far worse in 1689
than it had been when Frontenac came to Canada in 1672. Everything
which he had done to conciliate the Five Nations had been undone; and
Dongan's intelligent activities, coinciding with this long series of
French mistakes, had helped to make matters worse. Nor was it now
merely a question of the Iroquois. The whole Indian world had been
convulsed by the {137} renewal of strife between Onontio and the Five
Nations. Tribes long friendly to the French and in constant trade with
them were being alienated. The Indian problem as Frontenac saw it in
1690 resolved itself to this: either peace with the Iroquois on terms
which would prove impressive to the Hurons, the Ottawas, and even to
the savages of the Mississippi; or else uncompromising war. For under
no circumstances could the French afford to lose their hold upon the
tribes from whom they derived their furs.

Obviously an honourable peace would be preferable to the horrors of a
forest war, and Frontenac did his best to secure it. To undo, as far
as possible, Denonville's treachery at Fort Frontenac and elsewhere, he
had brought back with him to Quebec the Iroquois who had been sent to
France--or such of them as were still alive. First among these was a
Cayuga chief of great influence named Ourehaoue, whose friendship
Frontenac assiduously cultivated and completely won. Towards the close
of January 1690 an embassy of three released Iroquois carried to
Onondaga a message from Ourehaoue that the real Onontio h